Earlimart singer-songwriter Aaron Espinoza spent many a late night hour hosting Elliott Smith recording sessions at the studio Aaron himself constructed. These guys were good friends, and with Elliott's death, Espinoza turned to music to ease the pain. So it should be obvious to even the most casual Smith observer that it weighed heavily on the band during the sessions that produced Treble & Tremble. There are several instances of Smith imitation, specifically his breathy broken-vocal delivery, appearing most noticeably on "The Hidden Track," which appears glaringly at third in the listing, and "All They Ever Do Is Talk." Early Earlimart is much more experimental post-grunge but this, the 4th album from the SoCal residents, trades passion for beauty and falls to the side of alternative rock. The style is, in fact, so far from themselves and close to Smith that I'm going to assume this is a one-off mourning effort. If it is, it's worthwhile for anyone moved by Smith's death; but if they make another, it'd be extremely blasphemous. Treble isn't just for Smith fans though. "Sounds" sounds most like Earlimart's earlier work but with the dreamiest keyboard layered breakdown that comes out of nowhere and sails off into the sunset while the think fog of guitars on "Unintentional Tape Manipulations" blanket drums that kick you in the balls for six minutes, making it the most visceral track here. Much like how Michelangelo began his artistic career as a forger but was caught for by being too original, these are the times Earlimart comes into its own. Given the right circumstances, a clear conscience, and live strings in lieu of the plastic synths here and I think they've got a classic in them. Treble isn't it, but it is something decent to chew on while we wait.
1. Hold On Slow Down
2. First Instant Last Report
3. The Hidden Track
4. Sounds
5. The Valley People
6. All They Ever Do Is Talk
7. A Bell and a Whistle
8. Broke the Furniture
9. Unintentional Tape Manipulations
10. Heaven Adores You
11. 808 Crickets
12. Tell the Truth Parts 1 & 2
13. It's Okay to Think About Ending
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